Adopting Your First Pet: Tips for Families

4 Reasons You Should Consider Having Your Older Dog Neutered

27 April 2016

Micheal Silva

There a several reasons why you might find yourself caring for an older dog that has not been neutered. He may previously have been used for breeding or as a working animal – you or the previous owner might simply have decided that the procedure wasn't necessary. If your older dog is unneutered, you might assume that it has coped long enough without the procedure to go the rest of its life without it. However, neutering does come with a number of advantages, particularly for older dogs. Here are just four reasons why you should consider it.  

1. It Helps Prevent Life-Threatening Conditions

Neutering an older dog is important since it eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and also reduces the likelihood of prostate disease. Such conditions can be common in older dogs. Additionally, neutering reduces hormone fluctuations that can aggravate pre-existing conditions, including diabetes.

2. It Reduces Aggressive Tendencies

Neutering is never a surefire way to remove all aggressive tendencies in a dog – their levels of aggression may also be caused by temperament, a lack of exercise, poor socialisation, or a bad history. However, neutered dogs are less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviours since they won't have as much testosterone in their blood. They will also be less likely to be attacked by other unneutered males, who may see another unneutered male as a potential rival. Fighting is never beneficial, but an older dog is particularly at risk since they may be weaker than younger rivals and less able to recover from injuries.

3. It Reduces Territorial Marking

Neutered dogs still have some testosterone in their systems, but the neutering procedure will result in a dramatic drop in their levels of this hormone. This means that they will not be as driven to raise their legs and mark new territory. Unneutered dogs will do this often, sometimes in the home, spraying urine as high as possible in order to appear larger and more impressive to other dogs. This is obviously undesirable behaviour.

4. It's Safe

Some owners make the assumption that an older dog's health will be put at risk if they are neutered. However, a competent veterinary surgeon should be able to carry out the procedure without putting the dog's well-being at risk. There are some conditions that may rule out the desirability of neutering, such as liver disease or anaemia, but old age itself should never be used as an overall determiner. Your dog will be given a blood test to make sure they are good candidates for the procedure.

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